Paper Piecing in a Peaceful Garden

      I'm just so tickled with the final result of this paper pieced card which I did for our latest challenge at I Love ProMarkers, and "Paper Piecing" is our optional theme for this challenge.  Our challenges are always "Anything Goes" but we also have an optional theme to go along with that.  We're sponsored by Digi Doodle Studios and they were so generous, supplying the DT with images to use.

     I chose this one, called "Dahlia's Blooms," and it was fun to both color and paper piece.  I chose 2 pieces of dp from a Lawn Fawn stack before printing the image, then printed it 3 times; on both dp and on white CS.  I decided what parts of the image I wanted to paper piece and fussy cut those from the patterned papers.  I did the little bird on top of the birdhouse and her hat from the blue, and 3 of the flowers plus the butterfly from the coral pink patterned papers.  I used ProMarkers to color the rest of the flowers, her hair, face, and arm, and the ribbon tied around her hat.

     At that point, I used a Sue Wilson die to cut the image and an Avery Elle die to cut the sentiment.  Both of those were mounted onto remaining scraps of the same dp (used to make the card front background.)  No further embellishment seemed necessary.  :-D

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Get Creative

Lawn Fawn

Mod Squad

Outlawz Mon

Paperbabe

     I hope you found a bit of inspiration today and you really should check out what the rest of the team have created.  Come play in our challenge, with or without paper piecing!  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tea Time Valentine

      A new week and a new challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies, where our theme is always "Anything Goes" except on the occasional 5th Monday in a month (which will be NEXT Monday, as a matter of fact!)  :-D  Our sponsor this week is Gerda Steiner Designs, and they generously supplied images for the DT to use.  I chose this darling little Mouse in a Cup and turned it into another Valentine card.

     I colored with my ProMarkers, then paper pieced the tea cup with a dp scrap.  I cut the image with a stitched die from Memory Box.  The dp for the background probably came from a Paper Shack stack.  I added the sheer ribbons in Thistle and Tan for a bit of contrast and also because they were colors, along with Tickle Me Pink, in the Butterfly Challenge. 

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Inspiration Station

Mod Squad

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper Crafty

Word Art Weds

     We'd love to see you playing in our challenge this week.  It's "Anything Goes" so create something fun and enter it into our  challenge.   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Mittens

      It's a Monday, & a January Monday at that, so it's time for a new challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and our wonderful sponsor this week is The Cutting Cafe.  They have generously supplied the DT with lovely files for cutting shaped cards and I chose this adorable "Mitten shaped card."

     Because I don't have an electronic cutting machine, I printed the mitten shape, first adjusting it for the size I wanted, then cut it by hand.  That's one of the great things about Cutting Cafe files - they can be cut by hand or by machine.

Paper pieced with scrap dp (DCWV "Stonewashed" stack)

Snowflakes cut from scraps w Art Impressions dies

Sentiment (unknown maker) stamped & underlined

     I'm still following the "challenge-yourself" idea being promoted by my blogging buddy, V.  It's called "Just Stash January" and it involves using nothing but things already in your stash throughout the entire month of January!  There are a few reasonable exceptions (all of which mean that no money has come out of your pocket) and you can read about those on her post.  Just click on the link above to find out all about it, then start counting those coins and bills you'll be 'stashing' in your pocket this month instead of crying about even more charges on the credit cards after the holiday season.  :-D  Everything on this card came not only from the stash but from the scrap stash! 

     Challenges:

Dare 2B Artsy

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

Dream Valley

Get Creative

Outlawz PAM

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Pixie's Snippets

     Come play with us this week.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" except on the rare 5th Monday in a month.  We'd love to see what you create.   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holiday Chaos - Day 4

     It's time for the next Holiday Chaos theme at Catch the Bug and it's Ugly Sweater day with three possible recipes for making your card.  I went really literal on the "Ugly Sweater" theme as well as using one of the recipes.  I used Glitter/ 3 buttons/ & ribbon.  The mouse image is from Bugaboo Stamps.

I started with the sketch from Try Stampin' on Tuesday.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, but paper pieced the ugly sweater and her hair bow.  I added tiny dots of glitter to the sweater.  The image was cut with a QuicKutz die, as was the rectangle of dp.  I cut the sentiment with a die from Die-Versions.  The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the three, tiny buttons were in my stash.

     Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Colors
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD

      Only one post for today (that must be a relief for those of you who visit regularly!) but I'll have another double post day tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Deck the Halls

     Last day of the week-long Holiday Chaos at Catch the Bug and today we get a freebie to use plus an inspiration photo.  I'm so tickled that I managed to do a new card each day and to use a Bugaboo Stamps image each time.  That part wasn't required but I do love Bugaboo so why not?

Here's the inspiration photo:

     This image is the freebie from Bugaboo and I colored her face and hands with ProMarkers plus used metallic ink on the star and ornaments on the tree.  Then rest is paper pieced.  Both the image and the sentiment are printed directly onto the card front for a single layer card.  I added strips of gingham plaid ribbon and tied a bow from pale green gingham ribbon.  I thought a CAS design best matched the childlike drawing of the image.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Color Crazy
Color My Heart
Crafting with an Attitude
Cute Card Thurs.
Di's Digi Designs
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Polkadoodles
Star Stampz
Winter Wonderland

     I'm going to take a few deep breaths this weekend and then get ready for family holidays (starting next week) with all the road trips, package wrapping, card mailing, and other travels that make up my annual Christmas and New Year holidays.  I'll have some scheduled posts while I'm away and will be visiting and commenting whenever I can get online.  In the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and blessing of the season to you and yours.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ugly Sweater Contests

     OK, as we get to the bottom of the alphabet over at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards, it gets more and more difficult to find suitable Christmas topics that match up with the letters of the alphabet.  But today was no challenge whatsoever.  The letter is "U" and it couldn't stand for anything other than Ugly Sweaters!

     I'm sure some of you who have Beccy's 12 Days of Christmas set will think these were meant to be the 2 Turtle Doves, but you'd be wrong.  Look at those facial expressions.  They are clearly the sad winners of their hometown Ugly Sweater Contest!

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers, then paper pieced the sweaters, using papers from Bo Bunny.  No insult intended to Bo Bunny - the papers are great on Christmas cards or scrapbook pages but as sweaters?  Not so much.  :-D   I did have to do some work to get the design variations on the two papers in exactly the right places to accentuate the Ugly part of the sweaters.

     I added the sentiment and one tiny ribbon bow and then left it without any further embellishment.  I wanted those sweaters to be front and center.  lol

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Beccy's Place
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Catz
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Di's Digi Designs
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     I hope you got a tickle on your funny bone today and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Q for Quilted

     There are certain letters of the alphabet which are nearly impossible to use as themes in crafting and card making, and "Q" is one of them.  "X" is another and I'm not looking forward to that one!  But I've managed one more card in the Month of Holidays at Beccy's Place and I thank my years of Quilting for the inspiration.  Beccy has a whole zoo of Quilted animals and I'm using the deer (reindeer?) for today's Quilted card.

     All of the Quilting is done by paper piecing with 4 different Christmas papers and beige or tan ProMakers to fill in the areas I didn't paper piece.  I used both gold and silver paint pens to color the jingle bell collar and bells.  After that was done, I fussy cut the reindeer.

     I die cut the light background piece (Spellbinders) and mounted the deer onto it with dimensional tape.  I added that whole piece onto the forest green card base, then added ribbon and 3D embellies.

     Challenges:
Beccy's Place
Ching-Chou Kuik
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Hazelnut's
Daisy Chain
Do Al(l) Kreatives
Get Creative
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Tinker Dream
TTCRD

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cat Out of the Bag

     You can't hide your birthday or your age any more - the cat is out of the bag!  And a new challenge starts today at QKR Stampede, where our "Always Anything Goes" theme is on tap but we also have the optional twist of "Paper Piecing," if you want to use it.  The image I used is "Cat in Bag" and  the sentiment is "Cat is Out."

     I'm using this as a birthday card for a man who many years ago was a co-worker and with whom I still exchange Christmas and birthday cards.  He steadfastly refuses to tell his age but I do know he's at least a decade older than I so he definitely fits into the older end of the senior citizen pool.  :-D

     His favorite color is golden yellow (not the namby-pamby, pastel yellows that barely whisper their name) so, of course, that was the first color I chose.  I found some rich yellow dp in my scrap booking stash and used it not only for the background but also to paper piece the bag.  After coloring that sassy cat with ProMarkers, and adding the paper pieced bag, I used a Spellbinders die to cut the image.  The black die cut was done with another die from that same set, as was the sentiment and black die cut offset behind it.

     The tiny black bow was the only embellishment needed.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Creates and Makes
Creative Inspirations
Dragonfly Journeys
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspiration Destination
Kraftin' Kimmie
Simon Says Stamp

     I hope you'll come and play along with us this week.  We do get inspired by what you create and share with us on the challenge.  Hope to see you over there.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Grandma's Cookies

     This may not look like a typical Valentine card but I assure you, as a very knowledgeable Nana of 6 and Great-Nana to 2, that home baked cookies are the favorite Valentine treat of any grandchild and a huge number of "favorite grandma" points can be scored with a simple plate of them every February 14!  :-D

     The image (from Paper Nest Dolls) is actually intended as a Christmas image, supposedly Mrs. Claus, but I modified it a bit by covering up a sprig of holly in the image and it worked perfectly for a child's Valentine.  Since it's a new image for me which I got just this month, I wanted to find a way to use it without having to wait for Christmas to roll around again.

     I colored her face, hand, hair, and the plate of cookies with my ProMarkers, then paper pieced her dress, apron, shoes, and bonnet.   The holly sprig I mentioned was originally on her apron and it's covered with one of the paper-piecing bits.

     I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders, then cut the card front with the same die and inlaid the image, backing the entire card front inside with darker pink CS.  Die cutting the card front and doing an inlay is a new technique for me and for my first time using it, I think it turned out pretty well.

     I printed the sentiment, matted it with a scrap of the plaid dp and layered it on at the bottom of the card.  The pink bow was white but I 'dyed' it with a pink ProMarker to match the CS as best I could.  There's also embossing and piercing around the image.

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy Craft
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs
In the Pink
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Polkadoodles

     The more I look at this card, the more I love it and am impressed with the new die cutting technique.  I'm sure you'll see lots of it from me in the future.   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Stitched Tea Party

     Here it is Day 3 of the December releases at MHK Designs and today we're featuring projects using images and sentiments from the "Stitched Tea Party" set.  I love this set!  So versatile and the sentiments are fun and friendly.  There's a photo of the set at the bottom of this post.

     To 'color' the image I used papers from the "Get Well Flowers Papers" set and from the "French Country" papers set.  Of all the digital papers at MHK Designs, these are two of my all time favorites.  I did add glitter to the center of the purple star flower and the little daisy on the teapot.

     I cut the image and the green mat with a Stitched Circle die (Memory Box) and layered them in an offset design.  The sentiment is also cut with a die from that set.  I added the five little rhinestone flowers for embellishment but beyond that, left it clean and simple for easy mailing.

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Angie's Digital Stamps
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Path of Positivity
Pile It On
Robyn's Fetish
Through the Craft Room Door

     I hope you'll go by the MHK Designs blog for the list of designers and then go check out what they've created using this set.  I think they've done some really magnificents things and you'll get plenty of fabulous inspiration!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Think Pink in October

     I love the whole "Think Pink" or "Pink Ribbons" as an October focus for Breast Cancer Awareness.  I'm one of the survivors (15 years this fall) and I take every possible opportunity to remind women to get those girls checked.  Early detection is still our best tool in the fight against breast cancer.  If you haven't scheduled your mammogram yet, pick up the phone and call for an appointment.

     I'm celebrating my first Think Pink card this month with a darling image from AuroraWings called "Carnation Sprite."

I started with the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

     I began coloring with my ProMarkers, then added highlights to the pink petals with my Lyra pencils.  I used a VersaMark pen on the very edges of the petals and heat embossed them with white EP.   I started coloring the green part of the carnation but then found a perfect green dp scrap and paper pieced that one section, adding a few darker shadows to the tips with my ProMarkers.

     Both the image and the sentiment are cut with Stitched Rectangle dies (Die-namics), and then I matted them with pink dp.  The darker dp for the background is a leftover scrap from a 12 x 12 paper that's been in my stash forever.  I added the lace and then began layering everything together.

     I cut the leaves from snippets of paper using two different dies (Cheery Lynn for the green leaves and both shades of pink leaves came from a rose die (Die-namites) but I used only the snipped leaves) and layered them around the sentiment.

     This card will stand on the counter in my doctor's office, right next to a poster reminding women about scheduling mammograms.  :-D

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
CAS on Sunday
Cheery Lynn
Crafting with Dragonflies
Crafty Ribbons
Di's Digi Designs
Dragonfly Dreams
In the Pink
Jo's Scrap Shack
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Pixie's Snippets Playground
Robyn's Fetish
Scrapper's Delights

     Do me two favors this month, won't you?  Schedule your own mammogram and spread the word to every woman you know.  Thanks and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Teddy Bear Love

     Our theme for the new challenge at QKR Stampede this week is "Paper Piecing."  I love this technique but it's been a while since I used it.  So this week, I paper pieced everything on the image (Digi 15101 Love Bears.)  I added the sentiment but edited it in PS so that it was white on black, looking like chalk board writing (Digi 17606 Knock Me Out.)

I used the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds 2

but put the embellishments in the upper corner

as though the sketch was turned 1/4 turn..

     All of the papers are digital papers, printed out and then run through the printer a second time to print the image onto them.  Obviously, I had to print the image four times to get it onto each paper, then I hand cut each section and adhered it to a copy of the image printed onto white CS.  Very different from my usual coloring on all my QKR images.  The ruffle part of the heart is colored with distress ink.

     Once everything was paper pieced, I die cut the image with a stitched, scalloped-circle die from Memory Box.  Those stitched dies are all time favorites of mine.  They make the stitching look so neat and tidy.  My own stitching, either by hand or machine, never looks this good.  :-D

     I cut the sentiment with a smaller die from that same set.  Both of those pieces were added to a beige card front, and then I tied a bow from pink, satin ribbon and added the three little hearts which have been in my stash since I was making Valentine cards last winter.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Crafty Girls Creations
Creative Inspirations (center column)
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Word Art Weds.

     By the time you read this, I'll be off on my vacation travels for the next couple of weeks.  My internet may be a bit intermittent so if I don't visit as usual, I promise to get caught up with each of you when I get back.  Enjoy and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX.  SORRY.

Coffee Klatch

     I've done a set of simple note cards using new coffee mug designs from Paola at My Whimsical Little World.  She's also working on a set of Tea Cups and I plan to grab those as soon as they hit her shop for another set of note cards.  I've done 3 of each design for a set of 9 cards and I'll probably use them as gifts during the holidays.

     Two of the mugs are paper pieced and the third is colored with Copics.  Copics were also used to color the coffee and the donut on the paper pieced designs.  I used the same dp from the paper piecing to frame the images.  Because these took some time to color and piece, and because they probably will have to go in the mail when used, I left them very CAS - no embellishments at all.

     Challenges:
Artistic Stampers
Crafts Galore Encore
Digistamps 4 Joy
Inspiration Destination
MarkerPOP
Petal Lu
Sugar and Betty

     I hope your weekend is going well and that your weather is perfect.  Did you find time to craft at all?  You may still have time to find something relaxing and refreshing to do with the rest of your Sunday.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Delicious Doodles Easter

     Here's the last of the cards until my camera is back in my hands in just few hours.  Because of the camera problems, I missed getting my DT card done for the challenge at Delicious Doodles this week (where the theme is "Fairies") but I did paper piece this fun chick popping out of her egg.  This is a new image from Teri and you can find it here.  Isn't it an adorable image to use for Easter?

Sketch is from I {Heart} Sketches 

and the paper piecing idea came from Freshly Brewed.

     That paper has been in my stash for so long, I can't even remember when or where I got it.  I know it started as a 12" X 12" piece of scrapbook paper and this is about all that's left from other projects.  This piece would have ended up in the trash but it seemed perfect for this egg and background.  BTW, the part of the background dp covered by the matted image has the hole where I cut the bit for the eggshell.  How's that for frugality?  :-D

     The chick is colored with pencil.  Both the sheer ribbon and the bow were in my stash.  The sentiment is from a rubber stamp which I masked to get just the greeting part.

     Challenges:  (There's a ton of "Easter/spring" themes this time)
Craft Your Passion -- Ribbon or lace
Cutie Pie -- Easter
Digi Darla's -- Easter
Digi Makeover -- Pastels
Digi Sketch -- Easter/Spring
Kaboodle Doodles -- Bows. pearls; anything w/ frills
Outlawz Greeting Card -- Layers
Pink Elephant -- Easter
Rhedd & Rosie's -- Birds
Stamp and Create -- Fur or Feathers
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner -- Easter
Without Words -- Easter

     I hope your weekend is starting well.  I'll have another post this afternoon, just to show that my camera is back home, doing it's job as it should.  :-D  Thanks for visiting and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

You Can't Be Too Purple!

     The post title is my overall motto and apparently, it's Effie's too!   She's a digital stamp from Sassy Studio Designs (challenge theme is You've Been Framed) and she's totally dolled up with a gorgeous trinket on her finger (that's a tiny rhinestone.)

I took the sketch from Sweet Stop, except I used an oval frame instead of a circle.

     "Effie Trinket" is a freebie at the Sassy Studio Designs group at Paper Craft Planet where they want us to use the freebie and help them celebrate 600 members.  They also want to see Embossing, Flowers, Full of color, Ink, and Embellishments (EFFIE).

     Effie's hair and skin are colored with alcohol ink markers, and her dress and hat are completely paper pieced with 3 different dps.  The flowery background dp was in my stash and I have no idea who made it.  I used an oval die to cut the image plus two larger sizes for framing, a total of 3 layers on the image.  The dark frame is metallic paper which has been embossed.  The card base has also been embossed with a CB "Linen" folder.  All the embellishments, including the ribbon for the bow, were in my stash.

     I punched the corners with a decorative punch and added three pearls to each side of the frame.

     Other Challenges:
2 Sisters -- Anything goes
Crafts and Me -- favorite color combo: anything with purples
Crazy Amigo -- Flowers
Divas by Design -- Monochromatic
Little Darlings -- Flowers
Paper Pretties -- Flowers
Poodles Parlour -- Anything goes
Speedy & Friends -- 3 of something (pearls, image layers, papers for piecing)
Stamp Man -- Favorite technique: paper piecing
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle -- Ribbons and Bows
Stampin' for the Weekend -- 4 or more layers (there are 5)

     Hope you're having a great start to your week and that your weekend was fun, relaxing, and filled with creativity, whatever the weather may have been.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie